


Kirito and Kirsten: The Perfect Duo of Sword Art Online

by GreninjaGirl



Category: Sword Art Online (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Aincrad (Sword Art Online), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon, Beta Player, Beta Players, F/M, Lisabeth I called Liz without realizing it, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, beater
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:26:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25807333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreninjaGirl/pseuds/GreninjaGirl
Summary: We all know the story of The Black Swordsman, Dual Wielding Kirito in the VRMMORPG Sword Art Online: He was one of 1000 beta tester, became the scape goat for everyone who was angry at the beta players and became the "Beater", did things alone until he reunited with Asuna, Married to her in game, at some point he found out who Heathcliff was and exposed him after the 75th floor was cleared, beat him almost truly losing Asuna in the process, and almost everyone woke up?How about we throw ALL OF THAT IN THE TRASH and pretend Kirito actually made a good friend in the Beta? That good friend being the one non-Japanese player who won a contest to get ahold of a custom NerveGear and actually relates to Kirito a bit? What would change about the events that happen in SAO if Kirito already has someone fighting alongside him?That is what this story is about: Kirito and Kirsten, two beta testers who go though thick and thin together.As a side note: Yes, I'm an SAO fan. I like more then just Pokémon ya know! :)
Relationships: Kirigaya Kazuto | Kirito/Kazeko Kirsten | Kirsten (OC), Kirigaya Kazuto | Kirito/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 12





	1. Prologue: Before We LINK START

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is basically a small interaction with this stories main characters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Some Japanese is actually used in my writing, but I'll give the translations at the end notes... despite me actually using them in the story.)

It's October 31st, 2022. A day that will in the future be known as the day a true Death Game began. People from all across Japan waited days in line to get their hands on a copy of Sword Art Online, a new game within TRUE VIRTUAL REALITY. Only having 10,000 copies available at launch, many called in sick for up to 3 days in advance to get their hands on a copy.

Our story doesn't start with one of these 10,000 waiting in line, but two beta testers from different parts of the world. Kazuto Kirigaya is a 14 year old from Japan who wasn't very good with words. This caused him to lack friends and eventually closing himself off from the world. He was able to become a SAO Beta Tester under the identity of 'Kirito.' During his hundreds of hours within the VP space, he met the one lucky American who got the chance to be the only player outside of Japan.

Kirsten Kazeko, with the identity of 'Kirsten' within the game, was also a 14 year old who wasn't very good at communicating. The main difference between her and Kirito was that she had more of a 'Japanese Heart' compared to her fellow countryman. She was a very kind soul who would help many without asking for anything in return. She had many friends before she began high school the year before, but due to events she hasn't disclosed, everyone she knew suddenly stopped talking to her. The event broke her heart and drove her to be on the internet much more. Not too long after that, she entered a contest for the single Nerve Gear that would be able to translate everything into English in real time. Winning that contest and getting the Nerve Gear, she dove in and met Kirito that same day. Ever since then, they became best friends.

* * *

It was 12:30pm in Japan on launch day when Kirito was waiting for Kirsten (who was up at 11:30pm her time, which was the day before) to join the Video Call. They both decided that they wanted to see each other before the fun began. The girl picked up.

"Ko...n'ni...chi...wa...?" A girl with long wavy brown hair, brown eyes, and dark brown glasses appeared on the other end. She was wearing a custom white pajama shirt with a Shiny Greninja head on it and dark gray PJ shorts.

"Kon'nichiwa!" The black hair and eyes boy with the gray hoodie replied. "Hey, you don't need to force yourself to try and speak Japanese. I know our language isn't easy for American's to learn in just a few months."

The girl showed signs of relief. "Thank god. I don't know how well I can even pronounce the words..."

"I'm surprised, though."

"What are you surprised about?"

Kirito smiled. "You're the American who gained popularity just within days of creating a Twitter just for expressing kindness to everyone. The Legendary @FwendToAll 'Yuki'."

The girl had a surprised and seriously look on her face. "How do you even know about @FwendToAll? I thought I wasn't known anywhere but the USA, the UK, and anywhere else where English is the fluent language... I never told ANYONE I'm Yuki. Even my own parents!"

"You just recently began gaining popularity in Japan. Only a couple days ago, actually. Although I've actually be following that account since the first day. You know the user who keeps interacting with that account that goes by @SwordsOfRebellion? I made that to try and learn English years ago."

"So you've actually known English for awhile?"

"Pretty much."

The girl smiled.

"...but I only just realized your the same person. You look exactly like her in your NYC trip picture." He sent her a link to one of her older tweets.

"...Kirito."

"Yeah?"

"Never tell anyone that I'm Yuki." The girl had a stern, serious voice. "I made that account to escape my own life pain and to recover as a new me. If I wanted people to know I was Yuki, I would of made my SAO avatar look just like her design with blue hair and red eyes... and even name myself Yuki."

He nods. "Alright, alright."

It was 5 mins before launch when the two heard Kirito's sister in the background. "O nīchan, Watashi wa ikimasu!"

"Do you have a little sister?" Kirsten asked.

"Well, kinda..."

"I could only understand 'O nīchan'; what else did she say if I may ask?"

"In short, she said 'Brother, I'm leaving!'"

"Oh... must be nice having a little sibling. I'm an only child."

"Oh, shoot!" Something suddenly clicked in his head. "If she's leaving, that means it's almost time!"

The girl looked at the time as well. "You're right! It's almost midnight!"

The two grabbed their nerve Gears and laid on their beds. (They decided not to turn off the video call or mute themselves, because why not? Both families knew about the call in advance and were fine with it, as long as it didn't wake anyone up. Lucky for Kirsten, her parents were on a business trip until tomorrow.)

"Meet you by our normal spot on the first floor?" The girl asked.

"See you there!" The boy replied.

When it hit 1pm in Japan and Midnight on the Eastern Coast of the USA, the two said the special words in unison: LINK START!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Japanese translation notes (please note these are not exact translations, but estimate and simplified. Also used Google translate):
> 
> "Ko...n'ni...chi...wa...?" = "Hello...?" (But trying to pronounce it. Kind of like "Hel...lo...?")  
> "Kon'nichiwa!" = "Hello!"  
> "O nīchan, Watashi wa ikimasu!" = "Brother, I'm leaving!" (I know in the anime it's "Brother, I'm off to practice!" ...but I don't actually know what they said, even just by listening. I decided to change it up. I mean, I already changed up the beginning of the canon by adding a single person LOL)
> 
> \- Other references -  
> Fwend to ALL: This is kinda my general motto and my motto on Twitter. (Of course @FwendToAll isn't my handle.)  
> Swords of Rebellion: That was some old thing I created when SAO:FB came out on the PS4. I don't quite know why I created it or what it was anymore, but I do remember how I got the name. "In Gun Gale Online, most fight with Guns. the name 'Swords of Rebellion' came from the idea that some people wanted to use the phantom swords instead of guns. Seems perfect for Kirito, right?  
> Yuki: Yuki is the name I go by. (My actual name being Kirsten. SURPRISE.) If you read my other fanfics (the Pokémon ones) you'll see her within them.  
> Shiny Greninja: It's kind of my signature Pokémon. I decided to reference it since I brought up Yuki.  
> 1pm VS Midnight: In the SAO anime, Kirito logged in at 13:00 (1pm.) The time zone I'm from is Eastern, which would be 00:00 (midnight of the same day as Japan) I'm not sure if that was the launch TIME or not, but let's pretend it is, ok?


	2. Chapter 1: Meeting Klein as the Death Game Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter finishes up the events in the first episode.

Inside the game, the two met each other on near the Respawn point. (Their floor one meeting spot.) The first thing they wanted to do was gain some levels (as they were not used to being level 1 anymore...)

Before they left the town, they heard a voice from behind. "Hey, you two!"

"Us?" Kirito responded for them. (Kirsten was still very unsure if she was accepted into the Japanese community, which led her to be quiet when she was afraid the way she spoke would give her status away.)

The man finally caught up, breathing heavily. "You guys move like you've been here before. You were Beta Testers, right?"

The two nodded.

"Today's my first day. Can you show me the basics?"

"U-uh..." Kirito wasn't sure if he should say yes, as he and Kirsten had made plans already.

"I'm begging you!" The newcomer was persistent. Kindly persistent.

"Ok." The girl (who's avatar actually already looks decently close to her actual self) responded. "Let's help him, Kirito!"

"You sure?" Kirito asked his American friend.

"Of course I'm sure! I can't just deny a new player." She held out her hand. "My name is Kirsten. It's nice to meet you... um..."

"Klein." He held out his hand, to shake hers. "Nice to meet you!"

Kirito, who was happy to see his beta friend opening up a little, smiled. "I'm Kirito."

Kirsten grabbed both of their arms and began running towards the low level enemy fields.

* * *

Some time has passed and Klein was fighting a boar. (Being easily knocked back.)

"Ouch..."

"Give me a break. You don't feel any pain, right?" Kirito was a bit annoyed at Klein's overreaction.

Klein, realizing he didn't feel any pain, got back up quickly. "Oh, yeah."

"It's a natural reaction, Kirito. I did the same thing, remember?" The girl named Kirsten looked at Kirito with her own set of annoyed eyes. "We were all beginners at some point. Not realizing we didn't actually feel the pain."

"What she said." Klein then looked at Kirsten. "I think I almost got it. What am I doing wrong?"

The girl put a thinking face on before speaking. "What is SAO to you?"

"Well... it's a gam-"

"STOP!" She spoke up. "Your flaw is that you are thinking literally."

The man looked confused. He was, actually.

The girl looked at Kirito and back at Klein. "When I met Kirito, he was having a lot of trouble in the same way as you. I'll give you the same tip I gave him: You need to think of this as reality. You can't see or feel the outside world right now, right?"

The man nods.

"If you trick yourself into believing this is reality, your movements become more natural. It's not easy getting used to the controls if you don't use your imagination."

Klein tried to change his mindset and think of this as reality (even for a moment) his movements improved drastically within an hour.

* * *

"You did good, Klein." Kirito praised the man. "Defiantly got the hang of it faster then I did."

Klein smiled. "Did Kirsten start before you or something?"

"Nope." Kirito replied.

"We met each other on day one of the Beta, actually." Kirsten smiled with her response.

"She just happen to be thinking like that from the beginning. I was thinking of this as a game before I ran into her at the respawn point." Kirito looked at his good friend, smiling. "She's really something, that's for sure."

"Kirito!" She looked away from the two, blushing. "I'm... nothing much..."

"Right, right. Whatever you say." Kirito joked around.

"So," Klein began. "How far did you two get?"

The two looked at each other, before replying in unison. "The 10th floor." Then they smiled.

"Really?" Klein was surprised.

"Yeah, and we were also the top players. We were the only two who saw the bosses of floors 8 and 9." The girl sounded extra proud as she explained this to Klein.

"Don't forget it was only thanks to our fighting styles that we could do it with just us two." Kirito added. "I focused on the attack stats, while you preferred your defensive stats."

The girl nodded. "I do believe the best way to win is to outlast your opponent. Although my priority was speed. I love moving fast."

"You sound like you make the perfect duo." Klein chimed in. The two blushed, looking away from each other.

Kirsten suddenly yawned.

"You ok, Kirsten?" Klein asked, concerned.

"Yeah... just a bit... sleepy..." The girl was having a hard time staying awake.

Kirito, knowing Kirsten wanted to hide her American identity, quickly suggested she logged out. (Before she brought up that it was now almost 4AM her time while it was just about 5PM in their time.)

The girl nodded with a yawn, and pulled open her menu. Half asleep with her eyes closed, she pressed the logout button. When she realized it did nothing, she opened her eyes and saw an issue. "Guys, the text is gone."

"Text?" Klein asked.

Kirito could see his friend was too tired to find the words, so he pulled open his menu in hopes to understand what she meant. "The words 'Log Out' are missing." He pressed the button himself, which did nothing.

"What do you mean? That's impossi-" Klein was saying this as he pulled open his menu. "What the hell?"

Not too long after that, the 3 were forcefully teleported to the square of the town of beginnings. That was when they got a reasoning for the issue with the 'log out' button.

* * *

"I am Akihiko Kayaba, the inventor of the NerveGear and creator of SAO." A figure in the sky said "I'm sure most of you have noticed by now that the 'log out' button doesn't work. This is not a bug, but an important feature of the game. I repeat: this is NOT A BUG."

Yelling could be heard from all around, alongside worried voices.

Kirito looked at his friend in worry, but it looked like she was asleep standing up. "Hey, Kirsten. Wake up." He nudged the girl.

"Huh...?" She was sleepy, that's for sure.

"You can sleep later, but for now, follow me." He dragged her to the the outer part of the square (as far as they could go, that is. A barrier didn't help.)

Akihiko Kayaba kept talking, Kirito continued listening. "I don't understand how you could fall asleep hearing all this..." He admitted.

"I can't actually... understand him..." Kirsten told him. "I also can't understand anyone, but you right now. Seems like my NerveGear's translator was turned off..."

"But I'm speaking Japanese..." Kirito said quietly.

"What did you say?" The girl didn't hear him.

"I'll explain everything in a minute." Kirito began in a calm tone, unlike everyone around him. "I just need you to stay awake and follow me once this barrier falls." He hit his hand on the barrier, to show the now mostly awake girl what he meant.

"Ok." She replies.

After most of his explanation passed, Kayaba told everyone he left a present in each of their inventories. Kirito decided not to check just yet, because his main priority was to get the girl in a more quiet place once the barrier broke. He knew chaos would begin once the message ended. Lucky for him, the barrier went down for a second. He pulled the girl out of the square and to the edge of town, but not before seeing everyone using the item.

* * *

"What's wrong Kirito? Why did everyone have worried faces? What did he say?" Kirsten looked worried.

He took a deep breath. "Promise me you'll listen to the end, ok?"

The girl nods with agreement.

"That man in the hood was Akihiko Kayaba, the one who invented the NerveGear and this game. He told us that no one can log out until the game is cleared."

"Game is cleared... YOU MEAN ALL 100 FLOORS?!" Kirsten was wide awake now. "DOESN'T THAT MEAN WE'LL BE IN HERE FOR A LONG TIME?"

Kirito looks down to the ground. The girl could tell he was serious.

"That's not all." He held her hand, to help her stay somewhat calm. "We will no longer revive if we die. We will die in real life."

Kirsten stood quiet, too shocked.

"Also, Kayaba put an item in our inventory that I'm not sure you want to use."

"...What do you mean?"

Kirito was completely willing to use the item himself. He pulled open his menu and tapped the 'MIRROR' item. He then looked into the item before it shattered. Kirsten was more shocked. That was his actual self. His height even changed a tad.

"It seems once you use it, it's irreversible."

Kirsten was quiet for a minute with her shocked face still there. Then slapped her cheeks 2 times, changing her expression to a determined one. "That just means we need to get strong fast, right?"

"You're taking this surprisingly well." Kirito commented, and that moment was when they heard the panicking screams begin.

"You would be surprised to know that I don't actually like my life at all. To be able to become a Beta Tester for SAO saved me from killing myself, actually." The girl said as she opened up her menu and clicked the 'MIRROR' button, using it. She also looked like herself, excluding her glasses. (She left on her nightstand.) "I feel more alive in this world then I ever did."

Kirito smiles, happy that someone felt the same way he did.

"I do have one more question."

"Yeah?"

She took a deep breath, nervous. "Can we keep working together like how we did in the Beta? I didn't make any other friends during those months. I don't think I can survive alone, either."

"Kirsten, I was going to ask the same thing. We made a great team, after all." He held out his hand. "Lets head over to the next town before everyone begins grinding for EXP around here. Then you can sleep."

Kirsten was happy that she wouldn't be going though this alone. The two shook each others hands and then ran out onto the field where the monsters awaited them.


	3. Chapter 2: Thanksgiving in SAO (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kirito and Kirsten have been stuck in SAO for 2 weeks. Kirsten realized it was almost Thanksgiving and upset she wouldn't be able to spend it with someone important to her. Kirito thought of a back up plan so she could still enjoy the holiday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made a chapter that doesn't at all happen in the anime. If you think about it, the anime goes from October 31st to December 2nd. They skip an entire month, because nothing really happens...
> 
> Well, with Kirsten in the mix, something can EASILY HAPPEN :)

It's been two weeks since launch. So far, about one thousand people have died. Most have died to suiside, very few to actual monsters. Only a few people tried to clear the first floor, but all attempts have failed. About 50 of that 1000 lives were lost just to refusing to leave the boss room.

Kirito and Kirsten have leveled up an insane amount, already becoming the highest level players. While most were level 5 or under, the two have surpassed 15. How have they done it, you ask? Early on, Kirsten decided she wanted to work on her cooking skills, as she had a hard time surviving on bread alone. It would also save the two a lot of money if they made their own meals. To do that, they had to hunt for their own ingredients, which lead to a lot of EXP in the process.

The two both kept their Beta Battle Styles, as they both liked them. They did, however, change when they made their stats better. Kirsten mostly focused on her defense instead of her speed. Kirito mostly focused on his speed instead of attack. (Thanks to Kirsten's suggestion: using his speed to dodge enemies and attacking little by little was perfect on the first floor. Their enemies weren't that hard yet and they gained stats in multiple categories for each level up anyway.)

Thanks to their fast leveling up, they were able to get a good amount of money and rent a room with a kitchen, living room, and bedroom. Those were very expensive and no one else had one. Since there was only one bedroom and the two weren't the same gender, Kirito let Kirsten have the privacy. He slept on the couch.

Every day, they would go out and fight monsters in order to earn enough money to hold onto the room for another week. On the 3rd day, Kirsten suddenly collapsed on the field. Kirito had to carry her back to town and go to their currently small rented room, where he placed her on the bed. He tried to think of the cause for this and realized she didn't plug her NerveGear into a power source before diving in. The issue probably had to do with the fact that she was home alone for that whole time and no one was able to plug her into a power source. She didn't wake up for a full 24 hours.

Back in the present, Kirito woke up to Kirsten cooking something simple (since her cooking level was still terrible.) She had a sad expression on her face.

"You ok, Kirsten?" He asked. She didn't respond right away, too focused on something.

"Kirsten?" He asked again, this time getting her attention.

"Oh, good morning Kirito!" The American said, putting on a quick forced smile. "Everything is ok, see?"

Kirito spent the past 2 weeks (alongside all those Beta months) with her and could easily tell she was lying. "We went over this, you don't need to hold everything in. It's not good for anyone's mental health."

Kirsten, who just finished making some scrambled eggs, walked over to the table and placed down two plates. "It's just..."

"Just what?"

The girl took a deep breath. "Thanksgiving is coming up soon... and I've never really wanted to celebrate it with family this much..." Tears ran down her eyes. "I miss them..."

"Thanksgiving..." Kirito took a bite of his eggs. "Oh, you mean 'Kinro Kansha no Hi' - that's what we call it in Japan, although I believe our customs are very different."

"How so?" The girl asked.

"I don't actually know, to be honest." Kirito admitted. "I just heard that in America, you guys do a LOT. Compared to us who mostly see it just as another 'off day' ...we don't have school on that day, nor does the government work that day. It happens every November 23rd."

"I see." Kirsten could kind of see what he meant. She was also eating her eggs, but a bit faster.

"It's mainly a day where we are thankful to the people who have worked during the year." Kirito took more bites. "What's it like in America?"

"Well, first of all, it happens every 4th Thursday in November. This year, it will be on November 24th. It's origins start when the pilgrims landing in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Oh, Massachusetts is one of the 50 states if you didn't know. They met the local Indians and had a feast." Kirsten took her last bite. "Well, that's the extremely short version, anyway. In the modern day, we hold a parade in NYC, have a special... American football game, and families spend time together with a big dinner that normally contains turkey, mash potato's, corn on the cob, and other similar foods. It's basically a day for families to get together and have a good meal."

The girl looked at her empty plate with a sad expression. "This year... would more likely be my last thanksgiving with one of my family members. They are very ill and I personally don't see them surviving much longer. They've been struggling for years, after all."

Kirito felt terrible for the girl and wish he could do something to maybe cheer her up. He then got an idea. "What if we had a dinner and invited Klein?"

Kirsten looked at him, not quite sure where he was getting at. "But I didn't get the chance to friend him that day. Did you?"

Kirito nods. Kirsten smiles.

"I'm sure he would be happy to eat something that had a tad of flavor, compared to what is sold around here."

"Can you message him and ask?" The girl's brown eyes sparkled. "Now?"

"Alright." Kirito began to message Klein.

If Kirito didn't meet Kirsten, he would more likely be playing Solo and struggling to get by on a day-to-day basis. Despite the two being trapped in this world, the girl has done her best to live every day to the fullest. The black haired teen is really glad to have met her and feels there is almost no way he can pay her back for everything she has given him. The least he could do was try and see if he could have a little party on November 24th.

Not too long after pressing send, Kirsten took away the plate and put it into the trashcan, where it dissolved into data particles.

Kirito got a reply really fast. "Klein said yes, but only if his group of friends can come. Also, he wants to know if we want to fight with his crew today?"

Kirsten tensed up. "Uh, sure! Let's go." The girl rushed out the door.

* * *

Kirito lead Kirsten to the decided meeting spot, where they saw 5 men. Klein sent Kirito a screenshot of them, since they didn't see each other since before the first day's events.

"Hey there Klein!" Kirito waved from a distance, then ran up to him with Kirsten right behind.

"Hey there, Kirito." Klein then looked at Kirsten. "I assume this is Kirsten?"

"Yeah, it is."

"She doesn't look much different then her avatar, does she?" Klein laughed a little.

Kirsten hasn't spoken a word, realizing she can't understand him anymore. She felt left out, but didn't want to admit it. She really didn't want to reveal her American identity.

She knew she wouldn't be able to hide it forever. Deciding that Klein might be trustworthy enough, she tugged at Kirito hoping he would get the cue. He did.

"Hey Klein, can we talk for just a minute?" Kirito sounded serious.

"Uh, sure." Klein, Kirito, and Kirsten walked off to the side where not a single person in sight was.

* * *

"What's up, Kirito and Kirsten."

Kirsten looked at Kirito, her eyes expressing she wanted to say the first words. Kirito was ok with that.

She took a deep breath and spoke. "I no speak Japanese."

Klein heard her English and understood that one line. It was a simple enough for most Japanese to understand. He then looked at Kirito. "You're joking, right? She spoke perfectly when we first met!"

"Not exactly..."

"Kirito," the girl was uncomfortable. "Can you ask him to accept my friend request? Maybe we can finally confirm how the translation works."

Kirito asked if Klein could accept her request. He could delete her later, but they needed to know something. Not quite sure what was going on, he agreed.

"So what's this about?" Klein asked.

"I CAN UNDERSTAND!" The girl couldn't contain her happiness. "KIRITO, I CAN UNDERSTAND KLEIN AGAIN!"

Kirito smiled, then looked at Klein. "It's a long story, but you need to promise to keep it a secret."

Kirsten gave him the puppy dog eyes.

"Alright, I will. Sounds serious." He agreed. "So what's up with you, Kirsten? What the heck is going on?"

"You see..." Kirsten tensed up again "Um... did you ever hear about a contest for a NerveGear outside of Japan?"

Klein began to think. "Yeah, I think I did. I heard an American won. They didn't give any more details about the winner-" Then it hit him. "You're that winner, aren't you?"

Kirsten nods, embarrassed.

Kirito decided to take over from here. "Her NerveGear is actually special. It allows her to translate everything she hears and says into our language in real time. It seems when we were transported to the square in the Town of Beginnings, she lost that ability to anyone she wasn't friends with."

"I see." Klein closed his eyes, processing everything he heard. "Now it makes sense why you suddenly asked about having a meal on November 24th. That's Thanksgiving in America this year, isn't it?"

"Y-yeah..." Kirsten answered.

Klein opened his eyes with an idea. "Why not friend my pals, at least until after the Thanksgiving meal? I know them in real life." He smiled, which the girl smiled in return.

Kirito, who was happy that Kirsten seemed to make another friend, decided to interrupt them. "Let's go fight some monsters and gather ingredients so Kirsten can uppen her cooking skill level!"

The three ran back to the 4 other men and then ran back onto the fields to fight the monsters within.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this chapter, I had to do some REALLY QUICK RESEARCH regarding how Thanksgiving is within other countries. I know it's very different since ours actually has history to it and it's not just about being thankful for crops.
> 
> I learned that in Japan, it's mostly another day off and that not many truly know about our history. I know there is more to Thanksgiving in America, but I decided to give the short and simple version. (Imagine yourself explaining this to someone from Japan who doesn't really know what America is like.)
> 
> Anyway, this will be a 3 part chapter... cya whenever I finish writing the next part!


	4. Chapter 2: Thanksgiving in SAO (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A week later, Kirito leaves Kirsten in the Inn to continue her cooking. When he walks back into the room, something happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains some heartbreaking news for one of our characters. Just a heads up ;)

A week has passed since this Kirito and Kirsten first met up with Klein again. They would meet up every day to fight more monsters, collect more ingredients, and just have a little fun.

In the end, Kirsten told the other 4 about her secret of being an American. She was very afraid no one would accept her, as America was a very different culture then Japan. Lucky for her, they accepted her for who she was.

By the end of that week, the two have become level 18 while their friends have become level 10 (becoming the 2nd best players in SAO.) They created a temporary party in order to split the EXP they earned from each fight. With the duo already being able to one shot the monsters that gave ingredients for beginner meals, Klein and his friends were able to gain almost a level a day.

By the end of November 21st, Kirito came up with a plan to help Kirsten improve her cooking a bit faster. She was hunting with the boys and only cooking for when it was actually time to eat. Kirito suggested she took tomorrow off from joining them on the field and used all the ingredients they had stockpiled over the past week to improve. Some of the stuff was about to spoil, anyway. Kirsten wouldn't gain EXP for fighting, as Party EXP Share doesn't work if they are not in the same area. She agreed, but only if they brought a lunch she was going to make later tonight along. The 5 men could only show their appreciation for her dedication to cooking with loud cheers while Kirito smiled.

* * *

The next day, Kirito took the food Kirsten cooked from the storage and put it into his inventory. (She's now able to make simple meat sandwiches, as long as they also collected some wheat.) The girl was still sleeping, tired from staying up an extra hour to make a bunch of long-lasting food. Quietly, Kirito walked out of the room to meet up with Klein again.

The 6 males fought until noon. Then they had lunch under a tree in a safe zone.

"Wow, Kirsten made all these sandwiches?" Klein was impressed.

"Yeah. She's almost a level 4 in cooking, surprisingly." Kirito took another bite of his ham sandwich. "I think she's a bit upset, though."

"Why's that?"

"...She knows she won't be able to cook anything big. I suggested she stay back so she could raise her level one last time, but it doesn't seem she would be able to make anything new. Just improve the taste of her current dishes."

"I see." Klein could see Kirito also feeling bad about it. "I have a question."

"Yeah?"

"Do you like Kirsten?"

Kirito almost chocked hearing that. "What gives you that impression?"

"Well..." Klein tried to find the words. "You two always seem to be together. You could of easily left her to her own devices, but you stuck with her. Besides, you look happy when she is happy."

Kirito decided not to reply to his question in the end, because he wasn't even sure himself. Besides, there are some things that only he knows regarding her. He couldn't give a reasonable excuse without spilling some beans. Instead, he cleaned up and went back to hunting.

Later in the evening, Kirito walked back into their shared rented room. "Kirsten, I'm ba-KIRSTEN!" He noticed Kirsten collapsed on the floor, just like before. She wasn't responding.

"Something must of happened in the real world that made her battery die again..." He carried her back to her room in the back, left the door a crack open, and walked into the other room.

Last time, she didn't wake up for 24 hours. He wondered if she just collapsed or she's been like that for hours. Kirito was so worried about her that he sent a message to Klein telling him that he couldn't go hunting tomorrow. When Klein responded with why, the black hair teen just told him that he'll explain later. Then he stopped responding to his older friend.

24 hours passed. It was the evening of the 23rd, the day before Thanksgiving in America. Kirsten showed no signs of waking up, which had Kirito worried. "What's happening on the outside that's making it so hard for her to reconnect?"

* * *

What was happening was a surprise, even to Kirsten. At about 8AM in Japan on November 23rd, the girl opened her eyes to see a Japanese nurse checking vitals of some boy near by. "Wha... What's going on?" She said in a scratchy voice.

The nurse heard her and opened her eyes in shock. Then she screamed some words in Japanese that the girl couldn't understand. A doctor came running inside with a shocked, yet surprised expression. Then he spoke English to the girl. "Anata wa Kirsten Kazekodesu ka?"

The girl was silent for a second, trying to guess what he was saying. She finally gave up. "I no speak Japanese."

The Doctor looked at her for a second, realizing which admitted patient he was looking at. "Are you Kirsten Kazeko?" He asked.

"Y-yes..." The girl replied. "Where... am I...?"

"A hospital in Japan."

The girl thought to herself for a second, before realizing the reality of her situation. "KIRITO! HE'S STILL IN SAO!"

The girl was about to log herself back in, before the doctor took off the NerveGear. "Calm down, please."

"BUT KIRIT-"

The doctor bowed a bit, trying to express to the American that he really didn't want her logging back in. "Please. You are the only one who woke up. Please at least let us know what is going on inside."

The 14 year old American could see him crying a bit. She, herself, calmed down a bit. "Ok, I'll tell you what I know, but only if you allow me to dive back in before tomorrow at 7PM."

"Bu-"

The girl began having tears fall from her face. "I won't allow myself to be the only one free from that world while everyone else is stuck for who knows how many years!"

The doctor could see the seriousness on her face, but felt terrible. "As a minor, I cannot permit that. I'll need consent from your guardians..."

"THEN LET ME CALL MY PARENTS!" The girl panicked with anger.

The doctor took another deep breath, not sure how to break the news to the girl who was unresponsive for a little over 3 weeks "Your parents... gave up custody of you."

The girl was now unresponsive, too shocked about the news.

The doctor continued. "For the first 2 and a half weeks, you were in a hospital in the states. Since you were the only case in America, they were charging your parents for all the equipment they had to spend on you. They couldn't afford it long-term. With no signs of anyone waking up and there being a possibility that you would die like 1000 others, they decided to send you here. The problem was that Japan only offered free help to those trapped within the NerveGears if they were legally Japan citizens. You, being an American resident, would of had to pay a lot more then in America-"

"So in order to let me live, they gave up custody of me...?" The girl began crying even harder. "Who's my guardian now?!" She couldn't stop her tears from falling.

The doctor gave her a minute to cry as much as she needed before responding. "When your parents found you, they noticed you were on a video call from someone in Japan. The people of that residents would like to take you in, but didn't want to finalize it without your permeation."

The girl looked at the doctor, still sobbing a bit. "Kirito's family?"

The doctor handed her a tissue box. "We called them to inform them of you waking up. They are driving over now and should be here within 20 minutes. They do speak English, so you can talk with them. While we wait, would you like anything?"

The girl shook her head.

"I'll be back when they arrive. For now, I'm going to hold onto your NerveGear."

The girl nodded as she sobbed. The doctor walked out.

* * *

About 20 minutes passed when the doctor knocked on the door. "Miss Kirsten, the Kirigaya's have arrived."

"Kiri...gaya's...?" She was confused. The doctor opened the door and two females walked in. One seemed to be a mother while the other a younger girl. Maybe Kirito's sister.

The older one hugged the girl, relieved to see her awake. It felt very warm and welcoming. The girl let the woman hug her for a minute before pushing away a bit.

"You're Kirito's family?"

"Yes, we are. My name is Suguha Kirigaya!" The younger one said excited, yet still a somewhat sad expression hidden underneath.

The brown hair American Girl began to cry. "I'M SO SORRY! I'M SO SORRY!" She couldn't stop. "KIRITO IS STILL IN THE GAME AND PROBUALLY WON'T BE LOGGING OUT FOR A LONG, LONG TIME!"

The younger girl named Suguha hugged the crying girl.

"PLEASE LET ME GO BACK IN! HE'S WAITING FOR ME!" The tears began to poor.

"What do you mean he won't be logging out for a long time?" The mother asked.

The girl explained everything to them. How it became a death game and someone has to clear the 100th floor before anyone can log out. How She and Kirito have been working together to get stronger in order to clear the first floor and clear the game fast so everyone can log out.

"I wouldn't be able to live with myself if everyone else was stuck in there while I have freedom..." Her tears slowed down just a tad... just enough for her to say the next line. "I'll agree to being adopted by you, but PLEASE LET ME GO BACK IN! I'm sure the only reason I was able to come back was due to my NerveGear being a bit different, having a built-in translator."

The mother put her hands on Kirsten's and smiled weakly. "You are the reason my son was able to change a little and I can see why. I'm sure he's still changing with you alongside him." She handed her the NerveGear she had on before. "The doctor told me if I were to let you dive back in, it would have to be now. News of someone waking up has spread like wildfire and the Government will more likely want to question you. You told us everything they would more likely ask, but if you are awake, they will want to hear it from you."

"Miss Kirigaya..." Kirsten's eyes watered with happy tears. She put the NerveGear back on and turned it on. "May I ask one thing?"

"Yes?"

"Whenever we come back, can we have a family dinner on the 4th Thursday of November? You know... Thanksgiving?" The girls eyes watered a little more.

"Yes, we can. I'll try and make whatever you want too." The mother forced a smile that was realistic enough to make Kirsten think she was happy to see her wanting to go back in and save everyone.

"Thanks." She wiped her eyes once more. "I'm leaving now."

"Take care." Both the mother and daughter said together.

Kirsten looked at the window, seeing the sun setting. Then she closed her eyes and whispered the magical words: Link Start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Translation Notes (Again, not exact. Used Google Translate.) -  
> "Anata wa Kirsten Kazekodesu ka?" = "Are you Kirsten Kazeko?"
> 
> This was part 2 of chapter 2. Next part will come soon! (If anyone is wondering, I've basically been writing all day. The 2nd 1/2 of Chapter 1 was written when I woke up and the rest has been today. I like this plot!)


	5. Chapter 2: Thanksgiving in SAO (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kirsten wakes up in SAO after being in the real world.

Back inside the game, Kirsten opened her eyes. First think she noticed was she was on her rented bed. She guessed Kirito came back and saw her collapsed. Second thing she noticed was her door was cracked open a bit. She got up from her bed and slowly walked to the next room to see Kirito on the couch, asleep with tears.

Debating for a moment, she decided to wake him up. He was more likely crying because of her sudden collapsed, after all.

"Kirito..." the girl speaks in a calming and warm tone as she lightly shakes the boy. He slowly opens his eyes. "Kirito, are you alright?"

When he noticed Kirsten was waking him up, his eyes shot open and he hugged her tightly. "KIRSTEN! I WAS SO WORRIED YOU WOULDN'T WAKE UP AGAIN!"

Feeling his worry, she returned the hug. "I'm here and I'll always be..." She slowly split from the hug to give Kirito the surprising news. "Kirito, I woke up in the real world."

"What? How?"

"I don't know honestly... but I learned some things while I was on the outside that you may want to k-."

"WHY DID YOU RETURN? YOU COULD OF BEEN FREE FROM THIS PLACE!" Kirito began scolding her. His tears he couldn't hide ran for awhile.

"Because I couldn't live with myself if I didn't help everyone clear the game! Besides," The girl had her own tears falling now. "I'm no longer considered an American resident."

"No longer... what do you mean?"

"I met Suguha and your mom in my hospital room, Kirito." She put her head down, not wanting him to see all the insane amount of tears she couldn't hide. "I had to meet them, or I wouldn't have a chance of logging back in. Sometime during these past 3 weeks, my parents gave up custody of me so I could get free treatment in Japan. Your family ended up wanting to take me in. In order to come back, I agreed, but begged them to let me log back in. And... here we are."

Kirito realized the reality of their situation, and went to hug her again in comfort. "I'm sorry that you woke up to terrible news... and I'm happy you didn't abandoned us." He then stopped hugging again. "Tomorrow, let's have an amazing Thanksgiving, as brother and sister."

Kirsten's eyes lit up. She and Kirito were now, in a sense, related. It didn't truly hit her until Kirito said it. "Yeah, lets!"

* * *

The next day came and Kirito went to grab Klein and his friends. Kirsten began cooking a feast of simple foods. It didn't take long for Kirito to come back with their 5 friends. Everyone sat down at the table with a spread of food.

"Dig in, boys!" Kirsten smiled.

"Thank you for the food!" The 6 said in unison as they began chowing down the food.

"Wow, this is so good, even for game food!" Klein spoke first. "Maybe I should get this skill up as well!"

Kirsten blushed. "Thank you."

"Kirsten, I'm really glad I met you." Kirito suddenly said.

"Kirito...?"

"Let's do our best to clear the game as fast as possible, alright?"

Kirsten's smile lit up bright. "Let's do it together!"

The 7 finished eating their meal, all thankful that they met each other in this death game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the official end of Chapter 2. Next Chapter, we'll go back on track with Canon and get ready to clear the first floor.
> 
> Until next time!


	6. Chapter 3: How We Made 4 More Friends and Became Beaters (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's now December 2nd. The first floor is ready to raid the boss... but first, it's meeting time!
> 
> (Chapter introduces Asuna, Agil, Liz, and Silica.)

It is now December 2st, 2022. Kirito and Kirsten have been working hard to level up. They gained enough levels to be able to survey the floor one boss (in secret from the rest of the players) long enough to realize they cannot duo it. (Mainly because of the minions.) Kirsten thought it would be a good idea to inform everyone that it's possible to beat the boss if they constructed a raid party.

...but it seems someone beat them to the idea, as a meeting was being held by a player with the name Diabel. The two decided to attend this meeting, keeping their knowledge hidden for now. (Only a few people actually know their levels. Most have no idea that there are two players who already surpassed level 20.)

"Thank you for attending this meeting." Diabel began. "As most of you are aware, since the game has started, we have lost 2000 players."

Kirsten had a shocked expression, as she didn't know the death toll rose that much within a short amount of time.

"On Wednesday, November 23rd, a group of low level players went to raid the boss, but most didn't return."

Kirsten almost began crying, because that was the day she was able to contact the real world. She almost began to feel responsible for their deaths, until Kirito reassured her that it wasn't

"The ones who did, however, were able to get us some important intel. Intel that might make the boss possible to beat now."

Everyone in the stands began to talk to each other, expressing words like "seriously?" or "we have hope?" - Those types of comments.

"We all know that just getting to the boss room is hard. By the time we reach it, we exhaust most of our HP and healing potions."

Diabel looked around at the crowd before continuing. "No one has made it's health bar go down half it's bars... until that raid. They found out that when that mark hits, everyone got 1/2 their max HP back!"

Kirito and Kirsten didn't get 1/2 the health down to see this first hand, but from their Beta days, it wasn't impossible.

"Everyone here has come, because they want to beat the game, correct? It's our duty to beat this boss and let everyone in the Town of Beginnings know that it IS possible to beat SAO!"

Everyone cheered at his speech, including Kirsten. Kirito just smiled.

"Now let's talk strategies. We should all divide into parties of 6."

Kirsten and Kirito both looked at each other, knowing they didn't know anyone else who would join them. (Klein already had 4 friends and parties can only have up to 6.)

They then looked at their surroundings to see that most people already had their parties set. The only few who didn't have anyone seemed to be 4 people sitting in completely different areas. One had a red hood on, the other was muscular with an axe, girl with short dark brown hair, and another girl somewhat close to her with pigtails. Needing 4 for their party, they quickly went around asking.

Kirsten, who was still trying to learn Japanese, was able to speak basic enough to get an answer from the two younger girls who identified themselves as Liz and Silica. She also added them as friends to make interaction easier. Noticing Kirito was caught up with the person in the hood (later to be identified as Asuna), Kirsten got the muscled man (identified as Agil) to become another member or their temp party. It took a bit of time, but Kirito convinced Asuna.

Now with everyone in teams of 6, Diabel continued... but not before being interrupted by a non-beta player.

"Just a second!" The player ran down to the center where Diabel stood. "My name's Kibaou. I wanna say something before we take on the boss. We new players should get an apology from the Beta Testers."

Everyone began to feel uneasy.

"I heard that a good portion of them beat the first 5 floors while 2 players made it to the 10th! They know more then we do, yet they kept it a secret, allowing 2000 of us to die!"

Kirito could see the nervousness on Kirsten's face, knowing they were the 2 players in question. They kept quiet, because they noticed monster patterns were somewhat different and didn't want to cause deaths with false intel. They weren't even sure if the first floor boss changed, only seeing up to 3/8th (1 bar and 1/2) of it's health go.

Agil spoke up, telling him that the handbook was made by Beta Players. It contained everything they knew including a warning that monster patterns changed from the Beta. The book was made in order to only give accurate data, which it has done so far.

(Kirsten and Kirito were secretly contributors to the info in the book's updated issue. Since that day Kirsten woke up, she somehow was forcefully logged out 3 more times by the employees who helped create SAO. they gave her very useful data, however, they were unable to provide them with boss and floor data. On her 3rd forced log out, she made them agree not to forcefully log her out until the time they agreed on. Besides, if anyone found out she was able to get in touch with the outside, there would be chaos. Kirsten wanted to help everyone, but didn't want to be targeted in the process.)

Kibaou backed off and the meeting continued. They agreed to begin the battle in 5 days (a day after the next agreed log out time for Kirsten.)

After the meeting, Kirito invited their new friends to the room they rented to talk about their personal strategy over a nice meal.


	7. Chapter 3: How We Made 4 More Friends and Became Beaters (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kirito and Kirsten begin opening up to the 4 they just met.

The very moment Kirito allowed them inside, he realized what a terrible mistake he made. He forgot how expensive the room they were renting was, which made the 4 feel uneasy.

"Hey Kirito, what level are you guys?" Agil asked. "How can you afford this?" The 3 others looked at him, uneasy.

"Kirito, it looks like we can't hide it forever..." Kirsten frowned. "We're bound to keep making this mistake..."

"Your right, but I was hoping we could keep quiet until at least the 8th floor." Kirito had a thinking face. "You guys, it's nothing bad, but if anyone found out, we would be chewed out."

"Can you please PLEASE keep a secret?" The girl begged. "We haven't been hiding anything of value. We've even contributed to the newest guide!"

The four looked at each other and spoke in whispers. Liz then spoke up. "How can we trust you guys? Can we have proof?"

Kirito wasn't sure how to respond, but Kirsten had a quick answer. "Open the newest issue of the Players Guide from The Beta Players to page 72 and read the 5th paragraph out loud."

Liz wasn't sure how this would prove anything, but she did so anyway. "Most monsters drop editable meat, but very few drop harmful meat. Some examples include: Mushed Meat, Bee Meat, Angry Rabbit Meat, and Plant Meat."

"I never heard of Angry Rabbit Meat." Agil admitted. "I've heard of the Angry Rabbit. It's a very high level monster that players don't really go after. Ones who have beaten it say it rewards you with rabbit meat, which doesn't sell for much."

"That's because there's a condition to having Angry Rabbit Meat." Kirsten began. "The first requirement is to actually have killed at least 200 Angry Rabbits. The second is having the one who delivers the final blow have a cooking level of 5 or higher and has made the meal 'Rabbit Stew.'"

The girl then opened her menu and pulled out an Angry Rabbit Meat from her inventory, letting the other know it's real.

"Alright, I'll stay quiet." Agil spoke up first. "It's clear enough to me that these two have their reasons and are thinking of the players first." He then looked over to Kirsten. "I should assume the reason why the guide is 2 times the size of the last issue is thanks to you two?"

Kirsten nods.

"I'll stay quiet, too!" Silica spoke up next. "These two seem kind." She was quiet for just a second. "Kirsten reminds me of that American Twitter account @FwendToAll. That user was genuinely kind to everyone she interacted with!"

Kirito saw Kirsten tense up for a second. That was a secret she did NOT want anyone knowing.

"She does remind me of her." Asuna took off her hood. "I interacted with her a couple times. Kirsten does remind me of her, giving off an unusual warm feeling."

"I guess it's unanimous." Liz smiled. "We'll keep quiet, no matter what you tell us."

Kirito and Kirsten smiled. They decided to begin explaining over some sandwiches. The four were extremely shocked to find out Kirsten was the American winner and somehow, she's been able to log out thanks to outside help. She's been able to get info directly from the SAO team, which she then confirmed herself before having Kirito submit it to the guide.

"As for our levels," Kirito began "We're now level 21. Most of our levels were gained trying to confirm the Angry Rabbit Meat."

"It actually sells for a lot. Before, most of our money went to maintaining this place, but now? We're been using it to buy better equipment and resell it for free." Kirsten added on. She then pointed at Asuna's weapon. "That was actually a drop from one of the harder mini-bosses. Kirito prefers his swords and well... I'm trying to confirm if the Bow is a legit weapon. Until then, I prefer to stick to the same kind of weapon Kirito's been using: the Sword."

"I'm just surprised you were able to get out into the real world, Kirsten." Asuna said as she sipped on some juice. "Even more so that you came back."

"Well, I learned a lot my first time." The American smiled. "Mostly life changing things, but either way, I didn't want to leave my good friend behind." Kirsten looked at Kirito with that sentence. "Nor did I want to be the only one free while everyone else struggled..."

"Anyway," Kirito interrupted the conversation, wanting to move onto the main topic. "Let's talk about our fighting styles to see what each of us can do. Then tomorrow, we go practice. Sound good?"

Everyone agreed to it, but not before Kirsten asked one last question. "Hey everyone, can we be fwends?"

...Kirsten screwed up big time, the 3 girls realizing she was also @FwendToAll.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was a LOT of writing for a day and a half worth of time. Over 8200 words in total. This chapter still has another part to go, but I'll be writing more within the next couple days.
> 
> Please tell me what you think so far... and if you want me to continue past the first SAO Arc! I do have a lot of ideas for each arc and how everything will change from it's canon.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed it so far and I'll cya whenever I write next.
> 
> \- Yuki -


	8. Chapter 3: How We Made 4 More Friends and Became Beaters (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's now the day before the raid.

Four days passed since that dinner. The 6 have trained together and have learned the ins and outs of each other... at least enough to help each other out in battle. In the end, they decided to work in two raid teams of 4 and 2 (Kirito and Kirsten being the 2.) Kirsten had to stop the training early that day, reminding everyone that at 3PM, her secret moment would happen. They got back inside the duo's rented room at 2:55PM. Kirito told Kirsten to tell everyone he said Hi and was doing alright. Kirsten told Kirito it was now ok to tell the 4 some details they left out on day one. She then went to her room to lie down. Right at 3PM, she was unresponcive.

"I'm actually glad you kept this a secret." Agil began. "There are many people who would try to take adventage of the two of you."

"Either that, or try and kill you just because they were evenous." Liz added.

"Yeah, I know." Kirito walked over to the table where everyone was sitting. "I actually worry about her regarding that a lot."

"What do you mean?" Silica asked.

"She's not the brightest when it comes to 'personal limits.'" Kirito sighed. "She's genuinely kind, but maybe a bit too kind for a death game."

"It's not like we dived in knowing it would be one." Asuna reminded everyone, again sipping on some juice. "I've been meaning to ask, but what's your relationship with her? Are you lovers or something?"

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Kirito looked away from the group. "For your information, we were friends since day one of the beta, but thanks to the events of SAO, she suddenly became my older sister."

"Suddenly?" Liz's interest peaked. "We need more details, Blacky."

"Blacky...?"

"She was the famous @FwendToAll, who seemed to be living the dream life. Suddenly SAO happens and she's your sister? We're missing something big here." Liz said, ignoring Kirito.

"Hold on. First off, what gave you the impression she was living the good life?" Kirito was a bit annoyed. "She made that account after something tragic happened! She was, for sure, not living the dream life."

"I never had that impression, actually." Asuna chimed in. "She reminds me a bit of myself. My parents never listened to me and always did what they thought was best. Although when I talked to her on Twitter, she gave me the impression her parents more-or-less ignored her, which made her feel a bit lonely."

"I wonder if that's true..." Kirito spoke quietly so no one actually heard him. He actually didn't know too much about the exact situation she was in. He does, however know, that she really disliked the direction her life was going before she was known online. Maybe he would ask her another time.

* * *

The 5 chatted for awhile, until it was about 8PM. Everyone went back to where they were staying in order to rest up for the next day. Kirsten came back not too long after they left. She was in tears.

"Kirsten, what happened?" Kirito ran up to her.

"Kirito..." The brown haired girl looked terrified. "We need to have the final kill tomorrow, or he will kill our friends!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kirito or Kirsten have to have the final kill why...? That will be in the final part of Chapter 3! The chapter will contain action, anger, sadness, blame, and the birth of the BEATER. (Maybe even a giant change from the canon... we'll see.)
> 
> I'll be writing more another day (I wanna go play some of the newer SAO game since its been a bit.) c':
> 
> Cya all soon!
> 
> __________
> 
> Side note: I decided at the last second to make this a 4 part chapter. (I've actually been writing part of this story by just winging it... but I like how it's coming out.)


	9. Chapter 3: How We Made 4 More Friends and Became Beaters (Part 4)

The raid day has finally come and everyone was raring to go! Well, everyone but Kirito and Kirsten. The two were scared out of their minds that they would fail to deliver the final blow to the boss. If they didn't, Kayaba would kill their 5 good friends (Klein, Agil, Asuna, Liz, and Silica the minute they tried to leave the 1st floor.)

* * *

**_-Flashback, Last Night-_ **

"What do you mean, Kirsten?" Kirito tried to stay calm for the American. "Who will kill them?"

The girl couldn't stop panicking what-so-ever. "This is all my fault! If I didn't begin to take advantage of this ability to be forcefully logged out..." Tears ran from her eyes. "I wouldn't of met the guy who created the game when I logged back in! He wouldn't of told me that this was my punishment for breaking the rules of this world... NO ONE WOULD BE IN DANGER!"

Kirito did the only thing he thought could help the situation: hug the girl. He was scared as well, but kept it together for his best friend (and now sister.) "We'll have the final hit, no matter what."

**_-End of Flashback-_ **

* * *

The group had made it to the end of the dungeon, where the boss awaited. All the groups were ready to enter. Diavel stood in front, making a final speech.

"Alright guys, this is it. Once we go in, we follow the plan we made: Groups 1-6 will focus on the boss while groups 7-9 focus on the minions. Once the minions are down, then you focus on the boss. Are we clear?"

Group 7 was Klein's, Group 8 was Asuna's (alongside their 3 other friends) with Group 9 being Kirito and Kirsten (designated as the back up group for being the smallest.)

Diavel opened the Boss Room doors and everyone ran inside, ready to attack. The battle began soon after.

* * *

Kirsten noticed something was... off about this battle right when the enemies appeared. There was only one minion, when there were 3 before.

"Something wrong?" Kirito asked.

"No..." The American girl replied, then looking at the other two groups that were meant to keep the 3 minions at bay. "Can you guys take care of that minion?"

"Yeah." Klein replied. "You can help the main group. We'll let you know if we need anything."

"Thanks." Kirsten smiled. "Let's go, Kirito!"

The two ran over to the boss, who everyone seemed to be having way more trouble with. (In fact, it seemed the boss's settings were changed... as if it was out to murder players! It didn't take even 2 minutes for 2 entire parties to lose almost all their health to a single hit.)

Kirito went in for the attack and did a little over 1/4 of its health. (Not realizing it yet.) About to be hit, he yelled "SWITCH!"

Kirsten took the full force of the attack, only losing 1/16th of her current max HP. She then took her own swing and took off 1/2 of the 2nd of four bars.

Everyone stood back, watching the two fight, unsure of what to even think.

When the bosses health was 1/2 way down, everyone regained their health and charged at the boss. The duo took that moment to one-hit KO the minion so the others could join. It was then that Kirsten realized what was off regarding the fight: The boss had weaker defense, but stronger attack.

When the last bar was almost done, Diavel went in for the final blow. Kirito saw Kirsten Panicking, as she wouldn't be able to make it in time to stop him. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" She screamed in fear. Diavel stopped at the shock and it was at that moment the boss decided to crush him. His health drained and disappeared into data particles. Kirito went for the final blow.

As the boss became data particles, everyone cheered, until Kibaou ran up to Kirsten and punched her. "What the hell! You and that Kirito guy are so strong that it seems you could of beaten this yourselves! Instead, you allowed 13 people to die in this battle! What do you have to say for yourself?!"

Kirsten was quiet. She couldn't understand anyone who wasn't on her friends list. If she said anything, people would no doubt realize she can't speak Japanese.

Kirito ran up to the guy, pulling him away. "Calm down!"

"Why should I?!"

"Because Kirsten realized this boss battle was different th-"

"Different?" A player from the crowd pitched in. "Different from the Beta?"

"BETA?" Kibaou's rage grew. "SO YOU'RE BETA PLAYERS?"

"Hol-" Kirito was being cut off, unable to put in his word anymore.

"I BET YOU TWO ARE OVER LEVEL 40 BY NOW WITH HOW POWERFUL YOUR ATTACKS WERE!" Kibaou seemed to have control over the direction of this talk, which wasn't going to help Kirito or Kirsten in the slightest.

"YEAH, THEY WERE WAY TOO POWERFUL!" Someone shouted.

"WHY AREN'T THEY FURTHER ABOVE?" Another chimed in.

"I BEAT THEY CHEATED THOSE LEVELS SOMEHOW!"

"I BET THEY ARE WITHOLDING INFOMATION FROM US THAT COULD HELP EVERYOEN OUT!"

Everything escalated from there. As this continued on, a pop up appeared for Kirsten. It said "Reward for clearing floor one with you or Kirito dealing the final blow: Translation Settings have been Unlocked / Original Skill Unlocked - Bow"

The girl quickly turned on translations for everyone to understand what the yelling was about. She could tell that this augment was originally about them, but somehow escalated into Beta Players still withholding information.

"This is all my fault in the end, isn't it?" She quietly said to herself so no one heard. Kirito, however, heard the next part. "I need to take responsibility so no other beta player gets dragged into this..."

The girl began to laugh, almost as if she was evil.

"What's so funny?" Kibaou asked, very pissed.

"I was a Beta Player, but I rather NOT be compared to the others." She had an evil-like grin. (Kirito could tell she was forcing it, as it wasn't like her at all!) "I was one of the first to log in and I made it to the 10th floor way before that second player. I learned all sorts of secrets I'm not gonna share."

Kirito saw where this was going, and he wasn't going to let Kirsten go down that path alone. Not after everything she has done for him.

As Kirsten pulled out her Beginners Bow she just earned, Kirito butted in. "That Original Skill was something I unlocked during the Beta. As a thanks for telling me a big portion of those secrets, I told her how to unlock it." He grinned as well. "It's not like I have a use for long-ranged weapons."

"But Original Skills weren't available in the Beta!" Someone shouted out.

"They weren't." Kirito added. (He knew, for sure, he just dug his own grave at this point. No way he or Kirsten were ever getting out of this.)

"...YOU REALLY ARE CHEATERS FROM THE BETA!" Kibaou ran up to Kirito and tried to punch him as well, but Kirito grabbed his fist. (Stopping it just short of his face.) "YOUR BEATERS!"

Everyone shouted in agreement. The Beaters 5 friends stood quiet the whole time. They knew the two were doing this to protect something important to them. (Despite them not liking the outcome, they had no idea what else to do.)

"I like that." Kirsten smiled. "Beaters."

Kirsten and Kirito began walking to the next floor, ignoring the shouts of rage from everyone around as tears fell from their face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's finally the end of Chapter 3! (WE ARE FINALLY OVER 10,000 WORDS! YAY!)
> 
> I know it took awhile for this to be published. I'm sorry about that! (Haven't been that much in the writing mood.)
> 
> __________
> 
> Anyway, I'm not sure when the next chapter will arrive, but I can tell you RIGHT NOW that the Moonlit Black Cats will NOT be the focus of the next chapter. It's officially time to split from the canon and truly go in my own direction!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll cya whenever I start the next one!


	10. Chapter 4: A Special Christmas for Two (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's getting closer to that special time of year: Christmas!
> 
> Kirito and Kirsten have been working hard for the past 2 weeks. It's time for a break, don't you think?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story contains actual real life events from my childhood, simplified. Look at the end notes for details regarding them!

Two full weeks have passed since the clearing of the first floor. Kirito and Kirsten were branded 'True Beaters', making them a pair to be avoided. It was an easy task, as the two decided to focus their efforts on leveling up and clearing floors. While everyone was still on the second floor, the duo made their way to the 4th. (Neither went back to the lower floors, as the events that transpired on that day still hit them hard.)

Today, December 21st, Kirito and Kirsten were taking a break from their non-stop efforts. More or less due to the fact that Kirito noticed Kirsten's depression regarding her situation on the outside skyrocketed. (He couldn't blame the girl. She's been though so much in a short amount of time... besides, it was close to Christmas. If she was upset regarding Thanksgiving, why wouldn't she feel the same with another big holiday.)

The two were currently on a walk in the town closest to the floors boss room, admiring the virtual stars within the night sky. The snow was falling gently from the sky.

Kirsten was wearing a white winter coat with a sky blue scarf and gloves. Kirito was wearing a black winter coat with a white scarf and gloves. Both had the same black snow boots on their feet.

"It's a really nice night, don't you think?" Kirito asked the girl.

"It is." Kirsten smiled as she replied. (Kirito noticed it was forced, but he didn't say anything.)

The two continued to walk without a word between them for an entire minute.

"Hey Kirsten."

"What's up?"

"Anything special you want to do for Christmas?"

The American tensed up at his question. She knew he meant no harm by it, but it suddenly brought back terrible memories for her.

"Kirsten, you ok?" Kirito asked, concerned for his new not-by-blood sister.

Quickly shaking off the memories for a moment, she gave another forced smile to Kirito. "I would be happy if we spent time together like we normally do."

As if trying to avoid any more questions from the black haired teen, she ran ahead yelling "I'm going to beat you home if you don't hurry!"

Kirito smiled as he began the suddenly decided race, but internally was worried about the girl.

* * *

The two were renting a two bedroom apartment for the remainder of the month. Each of them said their normal good nights to each other before entering their rooms.

Kirsten changed into her PJs and quickly went under the covers, shedding small tears. She couldn't get the memories from earlier out of her head. All the American has ever experienced on Christmas were terrible events.

* * *

The earliest Christmas the girl could remember was when she was 5 years old. It was a normal Christmas for the most part. She opened her presents very early in the morning and played with them all day. She clearly remembers one of the toys she loved at first: A Hess Truck. (You know... the ones you see every year on TV. This year, it was a Fire Truck.) She apparently left it near the stairs, because at some point when she was carrying a glass plate filled with cookies... she tripped over it and fell down the stairs. The glass plate broke and shattered her skin. She spent the rest of the day in the ER.

A year later, she was greeted to a tree filled with school supplies for who knows what reason.

The year after that, when she asked for a Nintendo GameCube, she got a PlayStation 2 instead.

Every Christmas after that was either a clash between her and her parents or they just weren't around. (The girl began to enjoy those times they weren't around.)

Last Christmas, she didn't get the chance to enjoy what-so-ever. Her grandma collapsed a couple days prior and was sent to the ER. Due to the fact that she lived a couple states south of her (and it happened in the middle of the night) her parents left without a word and did not come back until after new years.

* * *

Kirsten did not realize she said her memories out loud as she continued her quiet crying as she slowly passed out. Unknowing to her that her partner was outside the door the whole time, gripping his hand to his shirt (near the location of his heart.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well then, this story took a turn I wasn't originally planning... lol. (Then again, I'm mostly winging it.)
> 
> Regarding those real life events:  
> Each Christmas event was a true one, although since I'm not an only child, not every event happened the way it was told.
> 
> -My older sister was the one who tripped over the Hess Truck while carrying a glass plate when I was 5. (She was 7)  
> -I believe I was 6 or 7 at the time: I asked for a Nintendo Gamecube, but instead got school supplies while my sister got the Nintendo Gamecube (alongside a PlayStation 2 the year before...) She didn't even ask for the Gamecube >_> (This was when I began to keep my expatiations low for Christmas... Paid off, because things got worse over the years. By the age of 17, I stopped asking for stuff all together. I just wanted my parents to understand 'me')  
> -Two years ago, my Grandma actually collapsed on December 18th. My family rushed to see her, leaving me behind (by request actually - You see, we live 4 hours apart. I don't do well in cars... and back then, I haven't actually known the pain of losing a loved one. I didn't understand the importance of the situation... how dire it actually was... despite being 22.) I highly regret my actions to this day, as she passed away 2 months later.
> 
> Before the Pandemic, I personally loved the days when my family wasn't around for long periods of time. We didn't get along what-so-ever (which made me sad...)
> 
> __________
> 
> ANYWAY, the next part will be coming sometime soon. It will be more focused on Kirito.


End file.
